Collar and like stayed construction



June 19, 1962 .1. R. SUCHER 1 COLLAR AND LIKE STAYED CONSTRUCTION ,3Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed June 10, 1950 INVE TOR ATTORNEY June 19, RCOLLAR AND LIKE STAYED CONSTRUCTION 3 SheetsSheet 2 Original Filed June10, 1950 lrvEu-rbR ATTORNEY June 19, 1962 J. R. SUCHER COLLAR ANDLIKESTAYED CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed June 10, 1950 lENTOR ATTORNEY 3,039,112 COLLAR AND LIKE STAYED CONSTRUCTION Joseph R.Sucher, Woodmen-e, N.Y., assignor to Emsig Manufacturing Company, NewYork, N.Y., a partnership Original application June 10, 1950, Ser. No.167,332, now Patent No. 2,701,380, dated Feb. 15, 1955. Divided and thisapplication Jan. 7, I955, Ser. No. 480,371 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-132) Thisinvention relates to the construction of garments employing stays,particularly shirt collars and more particularly to stays for employmentin such garments and which are normally subjected to launderingoperations.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 167,332,filed June 10, 1950, now Patent No. 2,701,880, granted February 15,1955, for Collar and Like Stayed Construction.

Known to me is the employment of stays made from spring metal andthermoplastic material, such as cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate,which are formed into sheets, and aifixed into a pocket formed in acollar, to leave the major portion of the collar or garment soft andcomfortable, while distending predetermined portions of the garment,such as the points, in a neat manner, free from wrinkles and creases.Stays made of the above thermoplastic materials, if left in the garmentwhile subjected to laundering operations, are calculated to resist thelaundering operations but do not resist temperatures employed in ironingapparel, but become tacky and tend to cement the layers of fabric toeach other. Likewise, the stay either breaks, creases or tears thegarment, if left in position during laundering, to mar the goods.

Repeated laundering of garments, with the usual practice of removing thestay, is accompanied by an accumulation of starch in the pocket for thestay, to make replacement of the original stay in the intended positionwithin the garment difficult.

The use of the foregoing materials, which may be characterized aswhalebone substitutes, has resulted in the development of garments toreceive the same which make provision for removal of the stay beforelaundering, at the risk of tearing or marring the garment if not soremoved. Attempts to simulate, in a degree, the effect of starch inironing garments by fusion processes are known to me, but these, as inthe case of fusible stays, such as cellulose acetate, bind the plies offabric together during ironing, eventually to weaken the fabric.

I have discovered that mere durability during laundering of materialsemployed as stays, such for example as metal strips, nitrocellulosefoils or sheets, cellulose acetate foils or sheets, which has been theobjective heretofore in the selection of materials for stays is aproperty to be avoided. I have discovered that by the employment of astay having a temporary condition of limpness during laundering and theproperty of absorbing water or the like laundering fluids to becomereduced to a limp condition, coupled with a property for restoration ofstilfness or horniness under drying temperatures, will permit of acollar construction which when dry, after ironing, has all the desirableattributes of a stayed garment, without sacrificing any element ofappearance, if initially constructed as part of the garment or retainedherein, designedly or accidentally.

Specifically, my invention is predicated upon the discovery of amaterial which, when formed into sheets by moulding or extrusion inpredetermined thickness, has the desired horny character of snapstiffness, to act as a stay but, because it absorbs water and otheraqueous materials used in laundering or cleaning garments, has beenconsidered objectionable for use wherever indiscriminate ironingtemperatures are to be employed.

ice

Specifically, I have discovered that the employment as a stay of anormal water repellant, horny sheeted material which has relatively highwater absorption characteristics, to become relatively limp, permits anunrestrained laundering operation and the subsequent ironing operationsto be performed on the garment with the stay retained therein, Withoutsacrificing the desired properties of horniness or stiffness of the staywhen the material combines the hereinbelow described characteristics.

Still more particularly, it is an object of my invention to provide agarment and stay which may hold the stay against displacement from thedesired place once it is combined with the garment, and which ischaracterized by (l) a horny quality for stiffening predeterminedportions of the garment, and when laundered, absorbing sufficient waterand/ or laundering fluids to become relatively limp, not to interferewith the laundering operations; (2) which does not become tacky attemperatures below scorching of the fabric, to permit repeatedlaundering operations without uniting or integrating the plies to eachother and diifusing the stay material into the fabric, tending to tearthe plies; (3) which responds to heat for ironing below scorchingtemperatures of the fabric, to restore the original horny stayingproperty; (4) providing a material of low thickness with relation to thefabric it underlies, to provide the requisite staying property withoutmarring the surface of the overlying layer by displaying ridges whenironed with the stay in position.

Still more particularly it is an object of my invention to provide agarment construction employing stays which will permit employment ofstays during manufacture without uneconomical departure from commercialmethods for making these garments, while embodying features permittinglaundering of the garments with the stays embodied therein.

Sitll more particularly it is an object of my invention to provide astay for reinforcing articles of apparel which will have all theadvantages of removability from a garment and which will not adverselyaffect the garment if left in it while subjected to normal launderingand ironing operations.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein orbe hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawingforming a part hereof, in which FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view of acollar illustrating my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the stay embodied in the garment inaccordance with FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a magnified section taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a collar in accordance withanother embodiment of my invention;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a stay to be embodied therein;

FIGURE 6 is a section taken on the line 66 of FIG- URE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of a fragment of a collar in accordance withanother embodiment of my invention;

FIGURE 8 is a stay to be embodied therein;

FIGURE 9 is a magnified section taken on the line 9-9 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary plan view of a ther embodiment of myinvention;

FIGURE 11 is a section taken on the line 1111 of FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary plan view of a collar embodying anotherembodiment of my invention;

FIGURE 13 is a magnified section taken on the line 13-13 of FIGURE 12;

still furcollar and stay showing the plies and stay of still anotherembodiment;

FIGURE 18 is a plan view of the stay to be embodied in the assemblyshown in FIGURE 17.

My invention, in summary, resides in the provision of a stay which hasthe requisite horny characteristic of resilient snap stiffness, i.e.stiffness to distend the garment and give it a neat appearance; absorbswater and becomes limp to permit laundering operations to be carried outwithout tearing the fabric with which it is combined; may be permanentlyretained in the garment and resists ironing temperatures tending tolaminate or unify the plies with which it is combined; does not weakenwhen ironed yet responds to restoration to the initially stiffcondition; has requisite staying properties or stiffness without beingof such bulk as to form ridges when ironed in the garment; the provisionof a garment, such as a collar, which has a stay incorporated in it aspart of the collar producing operations, to provide the desired stayingeffect, permitting laundering by becoming limp without tearing thecollar, and may undergo repeated laundering operations without weakeningthe collar structure or stay.

More specifically, my invention resides in embodying a nylon stay,removably or permanently, in a collar at predetermined portions to bestayed, and to undergo laundering operations without harmful effects byreason of the absorption of water, to render the stays soft orresiliently limp when wet, and reverting to its original form or horny,stiffened condition when dry, and during normal ironing of the garmentexhibiting no adhesive tendencies. By way of further defining the termssoft or resiliently limp as used herein, it is contemplated to embracethe condition that under aqueous laundering operations of a shirt havinga nylon collar stay in accordance with the teachings of the presentinvention, the stay is deformable and yields with the shirt fabric so asnot to pierce the fabric.

In the drawing there is illustrated a fragment of a neckband of a shirt,to which is sewn a collar 11 comprising the facing ply 12, the back ply13, the liner 14, which composite is sewn together by the peripheral rowof stitches 15 for the three plies and with the row of stitches 16uniting the back ply and lining, to form the stay pocket 17, and thenturned to the obverse side and united by the row of border stitches 18,leaving an open entrance end 19 and an abutment wall 2% adjacent thecollar point 21. The mouth 19 may be finished by a seam to lie adjacentthe fold line of the collar band, in which event a stay may be insertedin the pocket 17 provided at each corner after the collar and shirt towhich it is applied is completed. The mouth 19 may be closed by the rowof stitches 22 for attaching the collar to the band, in which event thestay may be incorporated before the collar making operations arecompleted and then the collar operations of attaching the collar to theneckband may be accomplished.

Where the stay is inserted after the collar is completed, I may employ aform of stay which is not removed or displaced in the launderingoperations, n'otwithstanding the slit 19 not being closed by stitching.In this form of construction I provide a water repellent, horny stay 23,deformable by water, of the material hereinafter to be described, havingan angular forward edge 24 conforming to the end of the stay pocket 17previously described. The edges 25 and 26 are formed with barbs 27,whose points are directed away from the edge 24. These barbs, serrationsor saw teeth are spaced apart with some relation to the spacing betweenthe rows of stitches 16 and 18 and the penetrating point of thesestitches through the plies forming the pocket 17, so that the pocket isdistended and the darts 27 enter the plies between the stitches, andengage the same to prevent accidental displacement, and urge the edge 24into engagement with the bottom wall 20. Where the stay 23 is made withthe engaging edges as described, standard collar construction practicesmay be followed as with those permitting removable stays. However,laundering will not dislodge the stay from position, and upon beingsubjected to the pressing or ironing operations, the relatively limpstay, even though creased in laundering, may be restored to hornystiffness. This present operation may be carried out without leavingmarring ridges where a thickness of stay is employed as hereinafterdescribed. Honing temperatures up to those which will scorch cotton orwool may be employed, without rendering the stay tacky, to disperse itin the superficies of the fabric and laminate the plies, where made ofthe materials hereinafter described.

In FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 I have shown another embodiment of my invention inwhich the stay 23a has an end edge 24a, with the side edges 25a and 260:left smooth as in the use of commonly employed stays which are to beremoved from garments. The garment in the form of a collar Ma is formedwith a pocket 1711 between the back layer 15a and the liner layer 14o. Aslotted portion 19a, spaced from the stitch line 22a, permits insertionof the stay therethrough. The slots 19a being spaced from the stitchline and the end 24b of the stay being extended to the fold line of thecollar, accidental displacement is avoided in normal use. The utility ofthis form of construction will be described in connection with theembodiments hereinafter referred to.

In FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 a still further embodiment of my invention isillustrated wherein the collar 11b is formed with a stay pocket 1715, asin the first embodiment described by me. In this form of construction, astay 23b is provided having the side edges thereof smooth as in theembodiment illustrated in FIGURE 5. The end 24c is formed with a slot 24d, providing bifurcations or fingers 24c. In the embodiment illustratedin FIGURE 7, the collar may be provided with a stay pocket 17b normallyemployed for removable stays illustrated in FIG- URES 1 and 4. The rearply 13b is formed with a layer terminating into an edge 1%, forming anentrance to the pocket to receive the stay 23b. The plies comprising theback ply and lining ply 1412 are supplied before turning the collar,with tacking stitches 28, 29 and 30, to provide loops 31 which may beengaged by the fingers 24c, previously described, spanning the throughstitch 29, to prevent displacement of the stay when it has been pushedinto the pocket, passed the entrance 1% so that the edge 24, abuts thepocket adjacent the bottom wall 20. Displacement of the stay is therebyprevented.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 10, I show a collar 11c whoseback ply 13c and lining p-ly are joined to the face ply 12c in thenormal way in making collars, before attachment to the band, where threeplies of fabric are employed. At this stage, a stay strip 230 isinserted and the stay is tacked in corner engaging position by the rowsof stitches 32, after applying the plies with the usual peripheralstitch 33. The composite then permits turning of the collar to positionthe face ply to lie to one side of the liner ply 14c and the row ofborder stitches 34 is applied. The stay strip 230 is therebyincorporated into the garment during the manufacturing process.

The width of the stay strip in this embodiment may be extended to permitthe staying action with a relatively thinner form of stay material asherein employed so that instead of relying upon the distending force ofa narrow strip of stiffener material a more extensive width may beemployed of a lesser gauge.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 12 to 14, there is illustrateda collar 11d whereby the strip of stay material 23d is united to thecollar during the same stitching operation employed for uniting theplies to each other. As shown in FIGURE 14, the collar plies arearranged to position the liner ply 35 to one side of the facing material36, with the rear face ply 37 overlying the facing ply 36. When theedges of these plies are co-terminous, the row of stitches 38 is passedthrough the three plies and the overlying stay strip 23d, to unite theplies and stay at the same operation. Thereupon, in turning the collar arelationship of the parts is secured as shown in FIGURE 13, with theseam forming the edge of the collar.

With wool shirts of heavy bodied shirting fabric, a row of borderstitches 39 may be passed through the plies 36, 35, 37 and the stay 23d.The row of border stitches 39 may, however, be omitted as the peripheraledge 23e of the stay which is closely adjacent to the row of stitches 38will hold the collar stretched by the stay 2303.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES and 16, there is shown a collarlle wherein the strip of stay material 2 3 is united to the collarbefore attachment of the collar to the collar b and or shirt. As shownin FIGURE 15, the collar plies are arranged to position the liner ply ato one side of the facing material 3611, with the rear face ply 37aoverlying the liner ply after turning in the normal way. The rear faceply 37a adjacent the edge 40 is spaced from the fold line 41 at an angleto provide a spaced edge 42 running diagonally over the liner ply 35a.Rows of stitches 43-43 define a pocket having a mouth portion 44.Through this mouth there is extended the stay 23] whose angularlypointed edge 45 conforms congruently to the collar point 46. Its rearedge 47 is extended to become exposed adjacent the edge 42. Aperforation 48 is arranged to receive a tacking stitch 49 passingthrough the ply 35a. This tacking stitch may be applied after the collaris turned and before the edge 41 is affixed to the shirt or to thecollar band, if such is employed. Thereafter, the edge 41 is atfixed tothe shirt or collar band by the usual procedure.

The tacking stitch as described permanently retains the stay 23] in thecollar for laundering operations, as previously described in connectionwith the prior embodiments.

Should the user find it undesirable to employ a stay in the shirt thathe purchases, he may sever the tacking stitch 49 to permit removal orsever the stay by a scissor cut 49a shown by the dotted line. Theseverance of the tacking stitch or by a slit likewise permits aselection of use of the collar with or without a stay.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 17 and 18, a similararrangement is shown with regard to the collar structure as shown inFIGURE 15. In this embodiment, however, the stay 23g is formed adjacentits rearmost end 4701 with a tongue 48a having a lobe 50, laterallydirected in the path of the reentrance slot 51, to form a displacedmouth 52. The position of the tongue 48a with regard to the edge 42 iscalculated to be such that it is retained within the pocket defined bythe rows of stitches 43-43. A tacking stitch 49b is applied to passthrough the plies 35a and 37a after the collar is turned and the stay23g is slid into position. The loop thus formed through the layers actsas an anchor for the engagement of the tongue 48a, holding the stayagainst accidental displacement once the stay has been incorporated inthe collar, and may be used in permanent form when the collar undergoesthe laundering operations, including washing and ironing, as previouslydescribed. However, the open mouth 42 of the slot permits of the removalof the stay by backing the lobe 50 into the pocket, to disengage thetongue from the tacking stitch 4%.

By the constructions described, I have provided a combination collar andstay in which the stay is permanently incorporated in the collar,temporarily incorporated therein or may be removably incorporatedtherein, as the taste of the wearer may dictate. However, in eachinstance the stay may be retained in the collar assembly to undergo thelaundering operations, including ironing, to restore the assembly to itsoriginal condition, with the benefits heretofore emphasized.

It will be observed that by the various constructions described, normalcollar making procedure may be followed, to provide a stay which may beremovably included in the assembly as illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 9, 17and 18, or permanently included, as illustrated in FIGURES 10 to 16, aspart of the shirt making procedure, adding little or no additional costto the usual fabricating process and in no way interfering with suchprior routine procedural practices in making collars with removablestays.

The material which I employ is nylon, extruded or cast to a thicknessranging from .010 to .015 for shirting materials such as percale orbroadcloth. For heavier shirting stock, such as employed in wool orflannel shirts, the thickness of the sheets may be as high as .025.Widths of from A and greater may be employed. For other garments, arelationship of stay size and thickness may vary with the fabricemployed.

The nylon which I prefer to use is known in the trade as FM10001, whichhas a melting point of approximately 507 F. The nylon FM3001 and FM3003,of a melting point of 455 F. may likewise be employed in a measure,although not preferred as much as FM10001.

The material chosen has a tensile strength of 10,530 pounds at 77 F., astiffness characteristic of a modulus of elasticity above 130,000 poundsper square inch and preferably about 325,000 pounds per square inch; aflexural strength of 8,000 to 13,000 pounds per square inch and higher,and a water absorption factor of 1.5%, preferably not in excess of 2.3%,and a minimum of .44% for the less desirable limit; a stiffness or hornyproperty of from 290,000 to 152,000 pounds per square inch at 77 F.

The material is further characterized by being susceptible of quickdrying at ironing temperatures at or below scorching temperatures forthe fabric, Without exhibiting any tack or deterioration in strength byrepeated moistening and hot ironing. Drying under the ironingtemperature below that which would scorch the fabric and with theincident pressure will restore the strip from the wet condition or withabsorbed water to cause a degree of limpness, to the horny springinessand snap, without tack or penetration of the fabric with which the stayis combined.

Any creases which may have been formed in the stay by reason of thelaundering process are removed by the hot ironing operation which isapplied to the fabric, likewise, to remove the creases from the stay aswell as to reestablish the horny springiness of the original, dry stay.

In general, the thickness of the nylon is chosen with regard to thefabric with which the stay is combined. Thus, a thickness of .010 to.015 is employed with broadcloth or percale shirting material in thatunder temperatures normally employed for ironing such shirtings, therewill not result any discernible groove or ridge caused by the edge ofthe stay, whereas with thicker shirtings, such as wool or fiannels, athicker stay may be employed, without evidencing ridges in ironing thecomposite.

The term nylon as employed herein is the generic term for any long-chainsynthetic polymeric amide which has recurring amide groups as anintegral part of the main polymer chain, and which is capable of beingformed into a filament in which the structural elements are oriented inthe direction of the axis, the basic constituent of which is made underUnited States Patents No. 2,071,250 issued February 16, 1937 andCarothers No. 2,130,523 issued September 20, 1938.

For convenience of reference, the nylon stay sheet as hereincontemplated is intended to include nylon in solid sheet form, and Willbe so referred to in the claim to distinguish from the Woven,filamentary fabric which may be made from related compounds of nylon. Bysolid as used herein, it is intended to cover the hereindescribed castor extruded sheeted material, as contrasted with the woven arrangementof monofilaments or yarns of such nylon.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A shirt collar made of a plurality of fabric plies, stitches through atleast a pair of said plies joining the plies to each other, a staythrough which a row of such stitches is directed to form a permanentassembly, said stay consisting of a sheet of a thickness of from .010 to.025, having the stiffness characteristics of temporary limpness duringlaundering, and restorable to its original dry stiffness, and non-tackydelarninating properties after ironing, of the order of those of nylonFM10001.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,270,673 Van Decar June 25, 1918 1,782,000 Collins Nov. 18, 19301,832,930 Gray et al. Nov. 24, 1931 1,969,928 Haven Aug. 14, 19342,268,616 Peters Jan. 6, 1942 2,309,729 Gordon Feb. 2, 1943 2,500,910Cohn Mar. 14, 1950 2,500,911 Cohn Mar. 14, 1950 2,560,157 Cohn July 10,1951 2,676,324 Johnson Apr. 27, 1954 2,701,880 Sucher Feb. 15, 1955

